PMB to be re-established
Uditha Kumarasinghe
COLOMBO: The Government will re-establish the Paddy Marketing
Board (PMB) for the benefit of farmers thus providing a lasting solution
to the paddy marketing problem of farmers.
The decision to re-establish the PMB will be announced at the
inauguration ceremony of the national programme to promote the country's
indigenous food crops which will be held under the patronage of
President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the National Youth Centre, Maharagama on
September 3.
With the re-establishment of the PMB the present Agricultural
Marketing Authority (AMA) which has been established under the Companies
Act,will be done away with, Agricultural Development and Agrarian
Services Minister Maithripala Sirisena told a media briefing on
Wednesday.
According to the Minister, steps will be taken to re-vest all the
properties belonging to the PMB which had hitherto been given to various
private sector institutions. In addition, all assets and properties
belonging to the AMA and Food Department too will be vested with the PMB.
The Minister said during the former UNP Government, the assets,
properties and paddy stores belongs to the PMB were given away to the
private sector through various agreements.
The PMB Act carries many powers. Therefore, the Ministry will take
immediate measures to re-vest these paddy stores with the PMB by
cancelling these agreements. This will help overcome the storage problem
faced by the Government in the purchase of paddy, he said.
If certain private sector companies were profitably conducting
business ventures in these paddy stores, the Ministry will allow them to
continue with such ventures, the Minister said.
In order to overcome the shortage of paddy stores, the Ministry will
take steps to establish new paddy stores, the Minister said.
The election manifesto of President Rajapaksa has clearly stated that
the PMB will be re-established.
Therefore this is a fulfilment of another pledge given to country's
farmer community through the Mahinda Chintana, he added. |
